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Monmouth County Library launches new e-Book and audiobook site

Looking for titles for your Nook, Kindle or smart phone? Your Monmouth County library card can get you titles for free!

This January, the Monmouth County Library launched Library on the Go, your source for e-Books and audiobooks. All it takes is a valid resident Monmouth County Library card to check out and download digital media anytime, anywhere, by visiting http://monmouth.lib.overdrive.comCard holders are invited to browse the Library's collection of e-Books and audiobooks, check out titles with your library card, and download them to PC, Mac®, e-book readers, and many portable mobile devices.

"The Monmouth County Library is pleased to offer our patrons improved access to the latest technology of e-Books and audio books with our new service, Library on the Go," said Renee B. Swartz, chair of the Monmouth County Library Commission. "The Library remains open online 24/7 for our patrons, your community center and corner store for the mind."

Just one cautionary note for patrons interested in e-books: some patience is required. There may be a waiting list for popular titles, as the Library must purchase copies of e-Books, just as it does print editions. Check out more on this hot topic in this New York Times article.

"As always, the Monmouth County Library has responded to the needs and wishes of its patrons, this time with an e-Book and audiobook service designed to reduce wait times and increase availability of titles," said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County Library. "The Library is always striving to be in the forefront of this rapidly changing world of new digital technology."

With nearly 17,000 unique titles of popular fiction and non-fiction to choose from, the new virtual collection is guaranteed to have something for everyone – from adults to children to teens. Download best-selling novels, well-known classics, self-improvement guides, and much more.

The Monmouth County Library was a previously member of the state-wide ListenNJ consortium for e-Books. The increasing popularity and demand for e-Books led the Library to develop its own site, according to Heidi Amici, member services librarian for the Monmouth County Library System.

"Patrons are excited to see that we offer a wide variety of downloadable titles, in many formats, for adults, teens and kids. With our new site, patrons tell us it's easier to see what downloadable titles are available," Amici said. "By developing and managing our own collection, we are responding to the digital needs of our patrons by filling holds faster and purchasing new titles more frequently. There's something for everyone to enjoy."

Users MUST have a valid Monmouth County Library card to access Library on the Go. Library on the Go will not be open to paid borrowers (those patrons living in municipalities not covered by the Monmouth County Library System who choose to pay annually for a county library card.)

To get started, patrons will need to install free software. For audiobooks, the software is the OverDrive® Media Console™. To read e-Books, patrons will need Adobe® Digital Editions. Titles can be enjoyed immediately or transferred to a variety of devices, including iPod®, Sony® Reader™, Nook, Kindle and many others.

A tutorial on the website will walk patrons through downloading books to their specific device. An OverDrive Media app can also be installed on many mobile devices.

There may be a waiting list for popular titles, as the Library must purchase copies of e-Books, just as it does print editions. Patrons will be able to place holds on e-Books and audiobooks, just as they do with print editions. Some audio titles can also be burned to CD to listen on-the-go.

Patrons can choose whether to check out titles for 7 or 14 days. Titles will expire at the end of the lending period and will be automatically removed from the device or tablet. There are no late fees! Patrons are limited to checking out five titles at one time.

This new service is powered by OverDrive, a leading full-service digital distributor of e-Books and audiobooks. OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry, and it used by more than 15,000 libraries, schools, and colleges worldwide.